Captains and co-pilots

There are always two pilots in the cockpit: captain and first officer. The first officer acts as a co-pilot, building up invaluable experience that prepares him or her for one day taking over the captain's duties.

As pilots grow in seniority and experience, they can advance to flying different types of aircraft. Pilots can apply to work as captain once they have accumulated the required number of flying hours as first officer.

The work is characterised by irregularity as pilots may work at any time of the day. The length of the working day depends on the aircraft used and the routes flown.

How to become a Finnair pilot

You need a commercial pilot licence to work as an airline pilot. In addition to basic aviation training, pilots need to go through further training provided by airlines before they can start working in the cockpit. Fluency in the Finnish language is required for all Finnair pilots.

The new A350 aircraft and increasing aviation business offer excellent career chances for pilots. In the coming years, we’ll have new openings for over a hundred pilots. That is why we have created new training programs for those interested in a career as a Finnair pilot. Not only will you get a job at Finnair, but you’ll be also facing a career as a captain flying a wide-body aircraft.

Become a pilot through our new MPL training program

The Finnair Multi-Crew Pilot Licence program is a completely new training program that will take you to the Finnair Airbus A320’s first officer’s seat in just 18 months. The training is provided by Patria Pilot Training in Tampere, Finland and Finnair Flight Academy in Vantaa, Finland. There will be several new courses starting per year.

Basic training

In Finland, basic training for pilots is provided only by the Finnish Aviation Academy in Pori. The training takes approximately two years and is split into several phases: the private pilot licence (PPL) phase is followed by the commercial pilot licence (CPL) phase, which is further divided into single engine and multi-engine phases.

Upon graduation, pilots will have a commercial pilot licence, instrument rating and multi-engine type rating.

Further training at Finnair

After receiving the commercial pilot licence, graduates can apply for further training provided by Finnair or other airlines. The training includes a first officer’s course and simulator training, followed by type rating courses for different aircraft types. The trainings take about two to three months, after which the pilots are ready for working as first officers on Finnair flights.

Medical requirements for pilots

Working as a commercial airline pilot is demanding, and therefore requires good level of basic medical fitness, visual acuity and stress tolerance.

The minimum height requirement for a pilot is 163 cm. Most chronic illnesses, such as back problems, hypothyroidism and diabetes, as well as colour blindness and some other medical conditions are usually not allowed for those looking to become a pilot. However, asthma and mild food allergies may be allowed in some cases.

More specific information about the medical requirements for pilots is included in the Joint Aviation Rules/Flight Crew Licensing (JAR/FCL) Part 3.